Snake Maiden
by Siren of Eternity
Summary: Tomboy Fuuko will never ever turn into a real girl.But when she suddenly gets bitten by a mysterious snake,Fuuko finds herself in a world of power,beauty and danger.Soon tomboy Fuuko turns graceful, beautful and dangerous like the snake. ToFu
1. Chapter 1

Author's note: Thank you for choosing to read my fic!!! I will update for every 4 reviews! Enjoy! :)  
  
Chapter 1-  
  
It was a typical Friday morning. And everybody was in a good mood. Maybe because the weekdays are about to end and the weekends are about to start. Fridays always give students a positive attitude knowing that the weekends are about to start.  
  
Yanagi skipped and hummed as she made her way to school. She was always in a cheerful mood even in Mondays when everybody is bummed out. One of the reasons of her cheerful nature was her friends. Recca, Domon, Fuuko, Tokiya and Koganei. All of them were very wonderful to her, especially with last year's situation. She couldn't imagine life without such great friends, and a loyal ninja.  
  
"RECCA!!! GET YOUR STINKIN BUTT OVER HERE!!"  
  
"Fat chance, Fuuko!!!"  
  
Of course, what is a typical day without Recca and Tomboy Fuuko's daily battle? It happens everyday of the week, it's quite strange but this makes the Hokage team's day more exciting. At first it was kind of scary for their fellow students, but soon they got use to it. Sometimes they would even watch or bet who will win. Of course, it's always expected that Recca will win. But still, it was worth seeing "The Tomboy" try. It's kind of strange, but this daily routine made team Hokage's day more complete.  
  
The screaming and the boyish laughter were getting louder. In a few seconds, Recca and Fuuko turned around the street. Recca was looking really happy and Fuuko looked really irritated yet serious. "Good morning, guys!" Yanagi greeted. Recca immediately stopped, "Good morning, Hime!" Recca said as he quickly gave her a quick peck on the cheek before dashing away. Yanagi blushed and touched her cheek, she could still feel her ninja's kiss.  
  
Then, it was Fuuko's turn to stop. "Hey, Yanagi. How's it going?" Fuuko asked as she gave her a smile. "Very well, thank you!" Yanagi said as she gave a more radiant smile. "Oh, good. Well I gotta go. Bye!" Fuuko said as she sprinted after him as she yelled: "Reccccaaaaaa!!!!"  
  
"See you later!" Yanagi yelled after them.  
  
******  
  
Fuuko was getting closer to him, she could feel it. It felt good to run, with the wind in your face and the sun watching you from high above. "You're losing your touch, Recca!" Fuuko informed as she prepared to attack. "You wish, Fuuko!!" Recca suddenly jumped high in the air, leaving Fuuko confused. "What was that all about?" Fuuko thought.  
  
She didn't even stop to think, which made her pay the price of finding out why. Recca had just avoided a box of tomatoes, and he knew that Fuuko wouldn't notice unless she fell on it.  
  
As planned, Fuuko tripped on it, sending dozens of tomatoes hurling in the air and landing on the floor with a splat. But she had no time for this, without a moment to spare she got back on her feet and continued running. "Sorry, Mr. Hasegawa!!" Fuuko yelled apologetically. "ROTTEN KIDS!!!" Mr. Hasegawa, a man in his 70's, shouted in fury. "YOU KIDS OWE ME FIVE BOXES OF TOMATOES!!"  
  
******  
  
The chase went on until they reached school. There they were greeted by a happy Domon and Tokiya sitting on the bench while reading a book. "Here they come....." Domon announced, but Tokiya didn't seem to care.  
  
"This match is mine, Hanabishi!!" Fuuko said as she once again got closer to him. "You wish, Kirisawa!!" Recca answered back as he dropped a tiny black ball. The moment it touched the ground smoke erupted, blinding the female competitor. "Smoke bomb-*cough* -a classic!" This technique was used quite often by Recca, but despite of the frequency it always works.  
  
By the time the smoke disappeared, Recca was no where in sight. She looked around but none of the nearby students seemed to be Recca in disguise. "Have you guys seen which way Recca went?" Fuuko asked.  
  
Domon merely shook his head and Tokiya is either deaf or didn't seem to care at all. "Mi-chan?" Fuuko asked again. After what seemed like a minute, Tokiya finally spoke. "Why should I tell you, Monkey?" he said. Fuuko didn't have time for this; she needs to find Recca before school starts. Otherwise Recca wins again!  
  
"Fine! I'll look for him myself!!" she decided to look for him at the back, that's where he usually hides. But before she could get going, Tokiya stopped her. "I wouldn't go there if I were you." He stated. Fuuko stopped and turned, "Why?" she asked. "Just don't" Tokiya didn't even look at her when he spoke.  
  
"Yeah? Well you're not the boss of me! If I want to go here then I'm going!" Fuuko said proudly. Domon gave her the thumbs up. "Suit yourself." Tokiya said without even catching a glimpse of her. Fuuko was now getting annoyed; she hated it when Tokiya answers her like this.  
  
"You know, Mi-chan, you better get an attitude adjustment." Fuuko said as she walked to her destination "Someday you're gonna wake up and find yourself without fr- Aaahhhhh" Fuuko barely got to finish her sentence when suddenly a net came out of the ground. Soon she found herself dangling from a tree like a wild animal captured by the hunter in net. "Damn! I forgot about Recca's traps!" Fuuko muttered. Now she knew what Tokiya was talking about.  
  
"I'm going to be late. See you around, monkeys." Tokiya bided as he stood up and went on. "Mi-chan, you "could" help!" Fuuko said as she struggled, but Tokiya ignored her. Some where near the bench were a bunch of popular girls saying; "Mikagami-sempai is SO cool!" they stared at him dreamily while Fuuko rolled her eyes in disgust. "And to think he changed!" Fuuko said.  
  
"Hang on, Fuuko. I got a pair of scissors in my bag" Domon informed as he rummaged his bag. Seconds later, Domon pulled out his trusty scissors and handed them to Fuuko. "Thanks" Fuuko said as she cut the ropes. Minutes later, Fuuko was free. Then, the bell made a loud ring, signaling the beginning of classes and the end of the battle.  
  
"Looks like Recca won again, eh?" Domon stated. Fuuko brushed her uniform. "Oh, well. Tomorrow's another day" She said patiently. "You just wait and see, Recca, I'll beat you someday!"  
  
******  
  
As the classed hoped, their English teacher, Mr. Nakato, was absent. Giving students a free period. Fuuko looked around, most were talking with one another, Recca was talking to his princess while Domon was taking a nap. "I might as well finish my pocket boo-"Fuuko's thoughts were interrupted when she heard some girls whispering about her. Normally they were silent to the normal ear, but due to Fuuko's sharp senses they were loud and clear.  
  
"Who hear thinks Fuuko is SO hideous?" one girl asked. Fuuko felt something in her hear click.  
  
"Totally. Did you see her hair? What does she use? Dish washing soap?" the second girl mocked. Fuuko could now feel her veins popping out.  
  
"Yeah, and she is so fat." A third girl chimed in. "Fat?! I'm not FAT!! I'm only 120 pounds for heaven's sake!!" Fuuko face was now turning red.  
  
"I think Fuuko should be a guy instead. After all, she is half way there." The third girl added. At this point, Fuuko could not contain her anger any longer.  
  
"SO, YOU THINK IM AN UGLY TOMBOY ,HUH!?!" Fuuko suddenly got to her feet and yelled. She had never felt so insulted in her entire life! The whole class grew silent all heads were turned to their direction. The girls stared at her with shock. But one girl didn't seem to be afraid of her.  
  
"Yeah. And so what if we do? If you wanna beat up people who think you're a tomboy you can start with this whole class!" she snobbed. Fuuko placed all caution, care and respect a side and pinched the girl right at the face. She roughly landed on the ground with her nose bleeding. "Fuuko!!" Yanagi cried. Before Fuuko could do anymore damage, Recca and Domon pulled her away. "LET GO!! I'M GONNA KICK THAT B*****'S ASS!!!! Fuuko shouted as she tried to brake free.  
  
By now the class was separating them when a teacher came in. "What's going on here?!" it was Mrs. Yotaru. The whole class froze. Mrs. Yotaru didn't need to ask what happened, when she saw Fuuko and the injured student she knew what had happened. "Ms. Kershaw!! Go to the counselor's office! NOW!!!" She ordered. And Fuuko reluctantly obeyed.  
  
******  
  
"She just went on and insulted ME in front of the whole class!!" Fuuko complained later to her friends. School was now over, but instead of celebrating, they were all in a deep discussion. They were in Yanagi's place listening to Fuuko's story. Once a week they would go to each other's house and get to together. Mostly on Fridays.  
  
"I can't believe she called me an ugly tomboy!! That stupid b****!!!" went on. "Aren't you a little too old to react like that?" Tokiya said. "What?!"  
  
"Didn't you learn to keep your cool in situations like these?" Tokiya pointed. "But she they called me a fat, ugly and stupid tomboy!! I mean, you guys don't think of me as a tomboy, right?" Fuuko asked  
  
The room erupted with silence. They all gave each other the I-can't-do-it- so-you-start look. After a while Fuuko understood their silent answers. "Oh my god!! You guys think I'm a tomboy!!" Fuuko said outraged.  
  
"Not entirely! We just think you need to take care of yourself differently!" Koganei defended. "Exactly! You just need some help that's all!" Yanagi said in a sure voice. "Yeah right." Tokiya said sarcastically.  
  
"What's your problem?!" Fuuko asked slightly mad. "Lets face it, Fuuko, you've always been a tomboy and you forever will be." Fuuko couldn't believe what Tokiya was saying. "For the past years I NEVER saw you act like a real girl before. So why else do you think you'll change now?" he continued.  
  
Fuuko felt her heart crash and shatter into pieces. She never expected Tokiya, of all people, to think of her like that. "IS THAT SO?! WELL I THINK THAT YOU ARE AND FOREVER WILL BE THE MOST ARROGANT, SELFISH, UNCARING JERK IN THE WORLD!!!" Fuuko yelled back. Tears were now coming out of her eyes. They all gasped. Everybody knows Fuuko NEVER cries.  
  
Tokiya was the perfect model for his words because he didn't react or showed since of emotion. "I thought I could trust you! And just when I needed you the most you hurt me!!" Fuuko couldn't let people see her like this so stormed out of the house. "Fuuko!!" Recca called. "Come back!"  
  
"Nice going, Mikagami! You better apologize!" Domon ordered. "She'll get over it." Tokiya said calmly. But somehow he was not quite sure.  
  
*****  
  
Fuuko ran as fast as she could. She felt so miserable; first some girls make fun of her, then one of her best friends think she's a tomboy. What was their problem with her? She was just fine! Just fine.  
  
She stopped by the park to take a rest. It always felt relaxing here. There were flowers, trees and a fountain at the middle. She sat down at the soft, mellow, green grass. She tried to stop crying but it didn't work. Is she really as ugly as they say she is?  
  
She looked at her reflection in the water coming out of the fountain. At first she thought she looked okay. But then, she realized what they were talking about. They were right. She did look like a guy.  
  
Fuuko thought of all the girls she knew and wondered why she wasn't like that. Why did she have to be so UGLY?! Why?! Just then she heard someone coming. She quickly spun around, only to find nobody. She looked down and felt panic rise in her stomach. It was a snake! It was long and black, its eyes were eerie yellow.  
  
It stared at her. Fuuko then realized she didn't have any snake experiences. Fuuko didn't move, maybe if she moved slowly the snake wouldn't attack. She took small steps to the right, but it just kept staring at her. Just when Fuuko thought it was safe, the snake leaped and bit her in the arm! Its fangs sank deep in her skin, she could feel the venom rushing in. "Aaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh"  
  
She suddenly felt numb. Panic took over her, she kicked the reptile and it flew a few feet away from her. Taking the chance, Fuuko quickly sucked out the poison. But she was starting to feel dizzy, soon she couldn't feel her body. Her vision began to blur. And before she knew it, everything went black. "Damn!"  
  
Author's note: REVIEW!!! :) 


	2. Chapter 2

Author's note: WOW!! O_o I didn't know I'd get this much reviews in a few days!! :) So as promised, here's the second chapter.  
  
Okay just for your info, this: "" is said  
'' is thought.  
  
To youkai's child: Sorry if I take to LONG cuz I have a very tight schedule. Hehehehe :) But I'm trying my best to find time! Glad you like my fic!!!  
  
To midnightkattt: Thanks for the tip! I must have misspelled it by accident. Yes, it is ToFu, I just had to fix the summary a bit.  
  
To anime_luverjc: Thanks for the blessings. You must be really sensitive to pity Fuuko . Are you? ^-^  
  
To Trinity: Really? Is Fuuko crying a bit extreme? Well I'm glad you still manage to accept the fact that she cried in my fic. But I apologize if anybody was offended by this. But you know some people need to have something that makes them cry right? Otherwise their dead inside like Tokiya. Joke!! :) And if you stick around, those girls will get more than just slaps in the face! *wink* ^-^  
  
To Kaze Yurei: Don't worry there this is the most she'll get emotionally hysterical. Realy?! You think my fic has quality?! *blushblush* You must be really brave to admit you're a tom boy cuz I am too a bit. ^-^  
  
To qwerty: Thanks!!!! :) Your simple words keep my day bright!!!! ^-^  
  
To aeris: May I say it is an honor to have such a good supporter like you! It is people like you that makes an author complete! Thanks again!!! ^_^  
  
And here is the much awaited chapter 2! Enjoy!!!  
  
Chapter 2  
  
Fuuko was standing in what looked like a battle field. There were mangled bodies everywhere. They were dead, all dead. The smell of rotten corpse was very strong that Fuuko had to breathe through her mouth. They looked like their long time ancestors from the time of Hokage, they were wearing ninja suits and using ancient weapons. But she noticed that no one was using a psychic device. "What happened here?" she walked around staining her shoes with blood spilled everywhere.  
  
One thing she noticed is that the warriors either had a tattoo of a scorpion or a snake. The tattoo was engraved in their skin like some code. Strange. Maybe they were signs of heroism. "Where am I? What am I doing here?" Fuuko muttered to herself. But instead of the voice remaining silent and hushed, it was loud and clear and echoed around the field.  
  
Suddenly, the clothes of the dead bodies began to change. "Wha?" Fuuko watched in awe as the clothes turned from primitive ninja like to a more sophisticated suit. They looked like the clothes of the present time! But they weren't wearing military clothes; they looked like the regular clothes that civilians wear. In fact, the fighters look like regular people.  
  
But she was still in the same battle field and everyone was still dead. Fuuko couldn't help but be curious about that strange tattoo scarred on their bodies. "What are they?" Fuuko took a closer look, but something else caught her eyes. The woman fighter she was looking at had no tattoo of a snake or scorpion but instead had strange black stripes all over her body. It strikingly resembled stripes that can be found on snakes. And speaking of snakes, Fuuko moved a bit closer and noticed that the stripes looked rough. Very rough.  
  
Fuuko gently touched her skin; it was smooth and creamy white like as if she was carved from ivory. She was very beautiful. She had an amazing figure and lovely curves; her hair was a lovely brown, smooth and shiny. 'I wonder how different my life would be if I was as gorgeous as her. But that's never gonna happen' Fuuko thought. Before she could marvel some more of her beauty, Fuuko touched her black stripes and felt a very familiar rough texture. "Scales?!"  
  
True enough, the woman's black stripes were shockingly made of scales but her was skin was made of regular flesh. Fuuko observed some more and noticed that the stripes lasted until the woman's cheeks, but another thing caught her attention.  
  
Fuuko's eyes grew large and round. The woman had FANGS!! Real fangs! 'Vampires!!!' Fuuko thought in horror. Unless this was some kind of freak show, what kinds of vampires have scale stripes?  
  
Before Fuuko could come up with an answer, the scene immediately changed. The battle field dissolved into darkness, nothing could be seen except the dark. Suddenly, Fuuko could see someone or something coming towards her. There, she saw slithering on the ground was the snake that bit her! Its dark color nearly made it invisible in the dark if it wasn't for its creepy yellow eyes. "Oh no!!!" she panicked. Normally snakes wouldn't scare her, but after the experience it's hard not to be a bit afraid.  
  
Fuuko turned around and ran as fast as she could she didn't care where she was going. She looked back and saw that the snake was gone, but when she looked ahead the snake was there! Fuuko stopped dead in her tracks. 'How could it go from there to here so quickly?' she suddenly felt more afraid of it.  
  
The snake stared at her again with amusement. Without warning, it began to grow. Fuuko's eyes were now large with terror. Right in front of her eyes the snake grew and grew until it looked at least 200 ft high.  
  
It seemed to enjoy the fact that Fuuko was afraid of it. Fuuko tried to run again but then the snake blocked her path with its long scaly body. ".......yoU.........CaNt..... eSsSsscaPe ..........yOU're .....FaTE....!!!!" a voice spoke. Fuuko could feel chills down her spine, it seemed like the snake was the one speaking. "......Fuuko....." it called. She can't seem to find the courage to talk; the words were stuck in her throat. "........Fuuko...." It called again.  
  
Gathering all her courage, she slowly turned around to face it. She looked up and was now face to face with it, she could see her reflection clearly in his amber like eyes. All of a sudden, she felt some kind of invisible force hit her hard.  
  
Extreme pain suddenly erupted from her body from her body. The pain was so intense that Fuuko got down on her knees. "Aaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!" Fuuko hadn't felt this much pain since the time she entered the Dark Tournament. But the sharpest pain of all was the one on her left arm. Fuuko looked at it through her watery eyes and saw the snake tattoo slowly and painfully forming in her flesh. "Aaaaaaauuuuuuuugghhhhh!!!!" Fuuko cried.  
  
She looked at the snake one more time. "........Fuuko...." It hissed once more. She stared at it. "Wha-....aaahhhh .....what...d-do.....y-yo.....aaaugh....you.....w-want from........m-me?!" Fuuko asked as she summoned her last bit of strength to say these words as clearly as possible. But it didn't answer her, it merely kept watching her in pain with its cold yellow eyes. That was the last thing Fuuko saw before she opened her eyes and exited the dream world.  
  
Fuuko found herself lying in her bed in her room. She was sweating constantly and was gasping for air, 'It's just a nightmare, it's not real......' Fuuko said to herself, everything was just fake, except for her aching body. There was pain literally every inch of her body, as if she had been working out for two weeks none stop. 'What happened anyway?' Fuuko tried to recall what happened before she had the horrible dream. At first all she could recall was being a tomboy by everyone, but then she finally remembered about the snake bite and how she passed out. But how did she get here in her house?  
  
Perhaps one of her friends came after her and found her on the ground and brought her here. 'Yeah, that's it' Fuuko confirmed as she brushed long strands of her hair away from her face. She felt so tired, maybe it's an effect after being bitten by a snake.  
  
Fuuko looked at her alarm clock, it was 9:38 am, it's pretty late for someone like her to wake up, she'd normally get up at 8 o' clock or so. She then looked at her phone, the light was blinking which means she had a message. She brushed out a few more strand of her hair away from her eyes before slowly reaching to press the message button. But every move resulted to pain making it more difficult to reach.  
  
Finally after what seemed like hours, Fuuko pressed the play button and quickly laid back on her bed. The female phone voice began to speak; "You have 47 new messages" Fuuko immediately bolted up despite her aching body. That was a lot more than she used to receive everyday. Unless the whole class knows about the snake bite thing, which she hoped didn't happen, and decided to call and see if she was okay. The first message was from Yanagi, "Fuuko-san, just wanted to know why you didn't come to Koganei's house today. Are you sick? Fuuko if you're still upset I can help you and we can do make-over together! Please reply soon"  
  
Fuuko remembered being on Yanagi's house on Friday and remembered that they were meeting on at Koganei's house on Sunday. 'Could I have been sleeping for two days?' Fuuko thought to herself.  
  
There was a beep and it was from Yanagi again; "Fuuko, just calling to ask why you didn't go to school today. Please reply soon. I'm really worried about you" Yanagi said. 'Was I sleeping for three days?' Fuuko thought again. 'Does it take this long to recover from a snake bite?' Fuuko brushed another strand of hair away from her face.  
  
There was another beep and this time it was from Recca; "Fuuko!! Where the hell are you?! You haven't showed up in school for three days now and Mr. Natako isn't happy!!" 'I'VE BEEN SLEEPING FOR 6 FRIKIN DAYS!?!' Fuuko's mind was about to explode. She brushed away more strands of hair from her face, "Stupid hair! I'm gonna cut it off la-"Fuuko suddenly realized something. "Wait a minute, my hair never bothered me this much before...." Fuuko used to have shoulder length hair when she was in elementary school, but she cut it off in an almost boy-cut style because it annoyed her a lot. Since then it never went to her face that much.  
  
She suddenly went cold, Fuuko gently touched her hair. Slowly her hand traveled down, Fuuko would expect it to last until her chin at the most, but it didn't. It went on and on and on until it reached her hips!  
  
Fuuko suddenly felt panic build up in her chest again. She took a hand full of her hair and saw that it was indeed a hundred times longer than usual. "AAAAIIIIIIEEEEEEEKKKK!!!!" Fuuko shouted loud enough for the whole building to hear. Sure enough, her neighbor upstairs banged the floor, ordering her to keep it down. But Fuuko merely ignored her, she quickly dashed to the bathroom ignoring the pain exploding in her body.  
  
She looked at the mirror but couldn't believe her eyes. Her hair had suddenly grown long at a striking short time. But that's when something else came up. How long did she sleep? Long enough for hair to grow like this? But, that wasn't all. Her tanned skin had turned smooth and flawless as if she had gone for dermatologic treatments everyday. And not to mention how much thinner she looks; now it really looked like she worked out for two weeks none stop.  
  
Fuuko stood on the weighing scale and was shocked to see that she had gone from 120 pounds to 95 pounds! Fuuko felt like she was about to faint. 'This is another dream, Fuuko! Wake up!' She commanded herself. She closed her eyes and tried to focus 'waking up'. "Just a dream. Just a dream. Just a dream.........."  
  
"And I thought you wanted to be pretty!" a female voice suddenly spoke. "Huh?" Fuuko opened her eyes and was surprised to see that instead of seeing her own reflection, there was another woman in the mirror standing before her. The woman was wearing a long, tight black dress that highlighted her curves, her long shiny jet black hair was as dark as her dress and her skin was smooth, flawless and as white or even whiter than snow. Her lips had a shiny red color as if she was wearing an expensive lipstick, her eyes were a ghastly shade of yellow. There was also a strange black triangular birthmark on her forehead facing down, but all in all, the woman was extremely beautiful.  
  
She had a great figure, perfect hair and skin, and even though she looked slightly scary she was still filled with beauty. Every inch of her was screaming with perfection, this is the kind of beauty that can kill.  
  
"Who are you?!" Fuuko asked as she got into her fighting position. The woman let out a small laugh, "Don't be afraid I won't hurt you." She said in a very feminine voice. "Why should I trust you?" Fuuko argued, "Because if you want to know what's going on you better trust me" she answered back. At this relaxed a bit but still took caution. "My name is Alassondra. And I was the snake that bit you, Fuuko" she said.  
  
"YOU?! You were the snake that bit me?!" Fuuko repeated with a slight touch of outrage. "Uh-hmmm." Alassondra didn't seem to show the slightest fear of Fuuko despite the menacing look she was showing right now.  
  
"Okay, that does it! I'm leaving!" Fuuko was about to turn around storm out of her bathroom when another strong invisible force hit her. "What the?" Fuuko suddenly couldn't move. It was like she had lost control of her entire body, she could not even move one finger.  
  
"Now, if you just let me finish" Alassondra spoke. 'As if I have a choice' Fuuko thought to herself' Fuuko said to herself. "You will have choices later" Alassondra suddenly announced. Fuuko looked surprised, 'Whoa, how did she know what I was thinking?' Fuuko thought. "As I was saying, my name is Alassondra. I am the queen and ruler of the tribe Szerpents" (A/N: I did that on purpose. I just styled up the word ^-^)  
  
"Tribe what?" Fuuko asked slightly confused over the name. "Szerpents. A tribe that existed six thousand years ago" she explained patiently. "Okaaay, but what's that got to do with me?" Fuuko asked. "I was hoping you would come and join us. That's why I bit you" she clarified. "Well if you wanted me to join you, you could have just asked" Fuuko contradicted, she couldn't see the fact why someone would turn into a snake, bite somebody and give them the terror of a lifetime.  
  
Alassondra laughed again. "Well to become one of us you have to go a few changes as you have noticed" she pointed out. "So let me get this straight, you want me join your tribe. And you bit me because I had to under go some changes" Fuuko could now move again.  
  
"You got it. The first hard part is already over which is the transformation. It takes a while to completely change and it's a bit painful. That's why I had to put you to sleep and asked one of my assistants to bring you here" Alassondra explained some more.  
  
"How long have I been sleeping by the way?" Fuuko took the opportunity to find out. "Sixteen days" Alassondra stated. "Okay." Fuuko said, her face masked with indifference. Suddenly, two snakes appeared from behind Alassondra. They slithered up her arm and traveled up her shoulders, but Alassondra made no sign of fear or panic.  
  
"Hello" She cooed as she took one in her hand and began to cuddle it while the other one gently coiled around her neck. "Fuuko, I want you to meet my little babies" Alassondra introduced like a mother who was introducing her own cute little children to visitors for the first time. "Yeah. Hi!" Fuuko half heartedly greeted.  
  
'She must be some snake lover' Fuuko thought. "I just simply love snakes" Alassondra informed as if she had just read Fuuko's thoughts. 'Can she read minds?' Fuuko wondered. "So are you going to join us?" She asked still cuddling her snakes.  
  
"Ummmm..." Fuuko wasn't sure she could decide right away. "You don't have to give me you answer now. I'll wait until the end of the day" Alassondra said before Fuuko could say something. 'Okay, that is just plain freaky' Fuuko thought. "Well I'll be seeing you later then Fuuko. Please think of my request carefully. Bye!" and with that Alassondra disappeared and once again Fuuko's new reflection stood before her.  
  
She couldn't believe what just happened. This was just plenty of pressure. But for a moment Fuuko halted all thoughts for a while so she could get a better look at her self. Her once short and messy hair was now long smooth and shiny like a dark brown mirror. All her scars have completely vanished and her skin was now smooth and perfect. She had a flatter stomach, smaller thighs and more curves than she use to have. Her eyes had a more radiant glow and her lips were almost irresistible. No longer will she be called Fuuko tomboy. She was now what every girl would ever die to become: The perfect girl. Well, maybe just almost perfect.  
  
"Is this the price for being a member of this Szerpents tribe?" Fuuko didn't know if this was a dream come true or another nightmare. "If I wanna join this tribe I better know more about it first. But where or who should I find answers?" Fuuko thought and thought until the first name popped into her head. "Kagerou! She has to know something about this Alassondra and her tribe." At once Fuuko got ready to leave.  
  
Author's note: Well how was it? :) Feel free to give comments or suggestions. REVIEW!!!! ^_^ v 


	3. Chapter 3

Author's note: Hello, happy ToFu fans!!! ^-^ How have you all been doing? Sorry that it took a while for me to update this chap cuz there were a few conflicts in my schedule.  
  
Chapter 3  
  
Fuuko grabbed a plain white shirt and her usual shorts and got dressed quickly. She had to ask Kagerou about the Szerpents tribe and about queen Alassondra. Is she good or evil? Is this some kind of hoax by another one of Hokage's enemies? Or is this all true and that there's another tribe that needs her so badly? All these questions were swimming in her mind; the pressure was just growing by the minute.  
  
She left her 'play messages' button on, and her phone was still sending in call s from her friends, it was probably in message 25 by now. Fuuko just kept dressing up as she ignored the sixth call from Domon when a familiar deep voice spoke after the beep and the "message 27" announcement.  
  
"Hello? Fuuko?" Fuuko paused from trying to zip her shorts. That voice belonged to somebody who's probably the least person Fuuko would expect to call. "If you're still mad at me about what happened the other day, then I just want to say I'm sorry, okay? I didn't mean that you will forever be a tomboy for the rest of your life. And I'm not saying this because I want to get you pardon, but of all the girls I know............ you're probably the only one that could make a big difference. I'm not just saying that, I mean it. Give me or Yanagi a call when you get this. Bye"  
  
It was from Tokiya. Fuuko couldn't believe it, he actually apologized to her. And everyone knows that Tokiya almost never apologizes to people. Fuuko didn't know if he really meant that or the others just forced him to do it. But just the mere thought of Tokiya apologizing was as unbelievable as her changing into a gorgeous creature.  
  
But there's plenty of time to think of that later, right now she had to go to Kagerou's. Fuuko just finished buttoning her shorts when it sunk a few inches lower, "Oh yeah, I forgot that I'm 15 pounds thinner" Fuuko thought as she searched for her old belt that was probably lying around the closet somewhere.  
  
After finally managing to tie an old, long cloth around her shorts (she couldn't find the belt), Fuuko now tried to think about what she could do with her hair. She just couldn't find the strength to walk around the world looking like this.  
  
She rummaged her cabinet for a hat or cap she could use to tuck her hair under it to avoid unwanted attention. After a few minutes Fuuko found her cap, tucked her long silky hair under it and was ready to go, 'I just hope no one will ever get suspicious' she thought as she put on her old sneakers.  
  
******  
  
Fuuko couldn't help but feel very uncomfortable about the transformation thing. The good news is, is that no one recognizes her. The bad news is, that almost every guy kept staring at her, or at least her now model material legs, and some girls would shoot death glares at her. Daring guys would whistle or howl loudly every time she'd pass by, "Idiots!!!" she would yell back after receiving annoying feed backs. Shorts were a BIG mistake. But after a while, guys just sticked to gawking at her after she punched one guy who tried to hit on her.  
  
After a grueling walk in the street, she finally managed to reach her destination. (Kagerou moved in with Recca and his stepfather after the tournament since she said she wanted to catch up with her son that she hadn't seen in four thousand years). Recca's house had a little hut by the side where he and his father would make firecrackers. But right now, only Kagerou was home since Recca was in school and his father was probably busy making firecrackers in the hut.  
  
Fuuko rang the doorbell twice before Recca's stepfather came to open the door looking dirty and tired. "Oh hey, Fuuko! Long time no see, eh?" he greeted as he rubbed his dirty hands in an old hand towel. "Yeah, it has. So how you been, sir?" Fuuko asked. "Really busy" he replied. "Recca told me they haven't seen you in weeks. What's up?"  
  
"Oh...um...my aunt came and wanted me to go with her out of town" she lied. "Oh, you must have gone hiking for the entire time with your aunt 'cause you look like you lost tons of pounds" he said. Fuuko was getting really annoyed with the 'losing pounds' thing, but she wasn't going to punch Recca's dad for saying it decently. "Well, Recca isn't here right now so-"  
  
"Oh I'm not here to see Recca. I came to talk to Kagerou. Is she here?"  
  
"Yeah she's in the living room cleaning up"  
  
"Okay, don't bother to guide me because I know my way around. Thanks anyway!"  
  
"Alright"  
  
"Thanks again!"  
  
Fuuko entered the Hanabishi house as Recca's dad went back to work. The house was once a messy place until Kagerou came. Now, it was always clean and orderly now that there was someone who actually cared about cleaning the house.  
  
Fuuko saw her by the kitchen cleaning some plates while humming a song. She looked as lovely as ever. "Mrs. Kagerou?" Fuuko addressed. Kagerou turned around to find Fuuko standing by the door looking really anxious. She was slightly surprised yet glad to see her at the same time.  
  
"Fuuko! How very nice to see you again!" Kagerou greeted as she flashed her one of her best smiles. "Nice to see you to!" Fuuko greeted back. Kagerou dropped whatever she was doing and made some tea.  
  
"Please have a seat" Kagerou motioned to the chair. Fuuko just couldn't reject her kindness; she sat down on the chair as Kagerou gave her some nice warm tea. "So are feeling alright?" Kagerou asked as she sat down with Fuuko.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"Recca said you haven't been showing up for two weeks. Are you sick?"  
  
"Oh, no. My aunt just came to visit and I had to accompany her around the place"  
  
"I see. For a while there I thought you were severely ill or some thing"  
  
Fuuko almost wanted to tell Kagerou about the snake bite and the strange appearance by Alassondra, but the fear of being this being made as a big deal stopped her. "Miss Kagerou?"  
  
"Yes?" Kagerou looked at her attentively as she sipped some tea. Fuuko breathed deeply and spoke, "Do you know anything about the Szerpents tribe?" The shock was very evident in Kagerou's face, "Why yes, but may I ask why you are suddenly interested?" Kagerou asked as she finished her tea.  
  
"I.....my aunt has.....um....my aunt's got some weird artifacts at home and she said it was from that tribe...and I was just curious" Fuuko knew it was a lame excuse, but luckily Kagerou seemed to have bought it. She looked at her newly poured tea in her hands before she spoke.  
  
"During my time four thousand years ago, the Szerpents tribe was one of the most feared tribes of all" the word 'feared' seemed to have caught Fuuko's interest. "Legend has it that the Szerpents tribe began when a cruel king ruled over a certain kingdom selfishly. His greed made him more powerful, he had everything. Gold, jewels, power, land, warriors and more, but it wasn't enough for him. He wanted more land and power, so he forced his only daughter to marry the prince of another rich kingdom. He threatened the other king to have his son marry his daughter and step down from the throne so he could be the only king, if not, he would wage war against his kingdom and kill everyone"  
  
Kagerou took another sip from her tea, by now Fuuko was really concentrated on the story, she never said a word, but only listened. Kagerou went on; "But the gods had enough of his cruelty. They decided to punish him by making the princess fall madly in love with a reptile. The snake. The king was furious; he sentenced his own daughter to death along with her beloved snake. But before they could push through with the sentence, the princess and the snake both escaped from the palace with the help of the prince. They settled on a high mountain protected by the gods, and anyone who dared to enter that mountain would be lost or be killed by wild animals"  
  
Kagerou stopped and looked at Fuuko who was still very interested. There was a brief moment of silence. "Wow...." was all Fuuko could say. "Of course, it's just a legend. But then it's the only explanation for the biggest mystery about the people of Szerpents......"  
  
"What mystery?" Fuuko was once again very deeply interested. "Well, despite the fact that the princess was married to a snake, she was still able to give birth to children. And so that was how the tribe began years and years ago. But what still puzzles everybody is that how the Szerpents tribe people are able to give birth to human and snakes"  
  
Fuuko gawked at her, "Seriously?". Kagerou poured more tea, "Oh yes" she clarified. "They are able to give birth to snakes?!" Fuuko repeated. "Yes. Surprising isn't it" Kagerou replied patiently. Fuuko just remembered Alassondra's snakes she saw this morning. 'Did she really mean that those are her babies literally?' Fuuko thought.  
  
"When I was still pregnant to Recca, the Szerpents tribe was ruled by a queen named Alasondra by forfeit" Kagerou went on. "What do you mean forfeit?" Fuuko asked, now it was making a lot of sense. "The real heir to the throne was her twin brother, Poisone. But shortly after being born, Poisone was kidnapped by the Xcorpyons was never heard of again."  
  
"The what?" Fuuko asked. "The Xcorpyons, the arch enemy of the Szerpents. That tribe was one of the most hated tribes of all; they began as outlaws from the Szerpents tribe and were banished away as punishment. However, they wanted revenge and formed their own tribe to oppose the Szerpents"  
  
Fuuko took a minute to understand everything, "Then what happened?" Fuuko pressed on for more. "Last thing I heard was that they were in war with the Xcorpyons. But that was the last thing I heard" Kagerou said as she stared at Fuuko. "You didn't know what happened next, like who won?" Fuuko asked again. But Kagerou shook her head. "I'm sorry but that's all I know" Kagerou said. 'I guess that's enough to know' Fuuko thought  
  
"Well thanks a lot! Now I know everything I need to know! Thanks for your time, Miss Kagerou!" Fuuko thanked as she got up and finished her tea. "Anytime, Fuuko" she responded as she too got up. "Before I go, could I use your bathroom?" Fuuko asked.  
  
"Sure, go ahead. You know the way, right?"  
  
"Yeah, thanks."  
  
******  
  
Fuuko splashed her face with the cool running water, it was so hot especially with this cap on her head, but she can't take it of otherwise they'll know. It was very nice of Kagerou to tell her about the Szerpents tribe story. And now, Fuuko was wondering how or if she would ever tell the others. They've gone through a lot, but this was about her now.  
  
'Will they ever be able to accept me like this?' but Fuuko's thoughts were interrupted by a familiar voice. "So have you decided yet?" Fuuko looked up in the mirror to find Alassondra standing there once again. "Whoa!! Don't scare me like that!!!" Fuuko said as she tried to calm herself. "Sorry. So have you decided?" Alassondra asked again. Fuuko didn't say anything for a while.  
  
"Fine. But on one condition...."  
  
"Name it"  
  
"I should have some company with me"  
  
"Of course you will have company. Did you think I'd let you be alone?" Alassondra laughed. "Thank you, Fuuko. You have no idea how much this means to me" Alassondra expressed. "Sure. Just treat me as a pal and not a servant, okay?" Fuuko added.  
  
"Of course. Now this wont hurt a bit" Alassondra pointed her finger at her. Fuuko felt a sharp pain in her arm, "Auuugh!!" she cried. But it was surprisingly quick, in a few seconds the pain was gone. Fuuko looked at her hand and saw the tattoo of the snake scarred in her arm like the warriors in her dream.  
  
"Fuuko, welcome to the Szerpents tribe. That mark on your arm will officially identify you as a Szerpent" Alassondra said. "Now tonight, you will be fetched by three other Szerpents who will come and bring you to our base. And will be welcomed as one of us"  
  
Author's note: Well how was it?! :) Don't forget to review!! I'm sorry, but I can only update another chapter once a week!! :( Since I'm only allowed to use the P.C two hours a day. And I'm slow in typing!!!! Anywayz , REVIEW!!! 


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